With the weather getting cooler and many of us having completed our A-priority race for the season, it’s time to take stock of our accomplishments and begin the transition into thinking about our winter training and what we would like to accomplish next season.

There are a lot of good swimmers out there. However, even good swimmers sometimes don’t know how to get faster and/or how fast they should be swimming. Which is why it can be helpful to know your Cruise Interval.

Bi-lateral breathing (BLB) is a great tool to have in your bag of tricks. I have been swimming to one side my whole life and I figure it’s time to change that. And I want all of my athletes to learn to swim bi-laterally too.

I am using my imagination here to write this article. See, I live in Miami, Florida which if you got a C in geography you know is surrounded with open water. So, what does a guy who in ten minutes can jump into a warm ocean year around know about simulating open water swims in pools?

So you've been swimming up and down the length of the pool for years and are ready to get out there and do some open water swimming? Open water swims and triathlons have gained huge popularity in the last few years.

I spent this weekend going through the Swimming DVD Swim Smooth (http://www.swimsmooth.com) by Paul Newsome. Swim Smooth is a box set DVD and CD-ROM program. The information is pretty comprehensive and was developed to help you clean up your stroke and improve your efficiency.

Q: "Is there a specific technique for the start of the swim wave? I am getting caught up in the wave and it is taking me 300 to 400 meters to battle through the crowd to get to clean water. Overall, I am a pretty strong swimmer and I usually finish in the top 5%."

1. Should I wear a wetsuit? It depends on if wetsuits are allowed in the race. Most of the age group races allow wetsuits. In this case, by all means, use a wetsuit! You will not only be able to withstand cold water, but you will also be given the gift of buoyancy by your apparel- which will make it a lot easier to get through the swim.

Press Lung: Ideal buoyancy in the water is achieved when the lungs, your body's natural life preservers, are pressed down towards the bottom of the pool. This is the foundation of downhill swimming and the position that allows for a more streamlined body. Think of your body as a teeter-totter, with the hips as the fulcrum.

Swim what?